Saturday, June 30, 2012

August's Hot Titles

I wrote about so many August books that are already in my closet that it's hard to believe there's anything left. But, there are some other books readers will enjoy. Let me know if there's something I missed that you're waiting to read!

If you're a fan of Chelsea Cain's series featuring serial killer Gretchen Lowell, there's a new book due out, Kill You Twice. Detective Archie Sheridan is trying to concentrate on his most recent case, a cyclist found hanging from a tree. He's stunned to hear from a doctor at the mental hospital where Gretchen is supposed to be locked away that she claims to have inside knowledge about the case.

Honestly? Cleo Coyle's A Brew to a Kill is more my speed. Clare Cosi's Greenwich Village coffeehouse has been very successful, but a coffee truck turns out to be even more successful. However, a fatal hit-and-run and a coffee bag full of contraband forces Clare to try to catch a killer before she ends up in hot water.

Mystery readers might want to check out Bill Crider's latest Sheriff Dan Rhodes book, Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen. Expect mystery and humor as Sheriff Rhodes investigates when a woman is found dead at "The Beauty Shack", but no one seems to know who she is.

In Kathleen George's Simple, a handyman is arrested for the murder of a law student. However, it's not long before suspicion falls on the young woman's boss, a candidate for governor.

Tess Gerritsen's new Rizzoli & Isles novel is Last to Die. Maura visits Evensong, only to learn that all the students are survivors of violence, taught science and investigative skills for a career in crime fighting. Meanwhile, in Boston, Detective Jane Rizzoli is investigating the murder of Teddy Clock's foster family, a murder only Teddy survived. He's sent to Evensong for protection. But, is he really safe there?

The Kingmaker's Daughter is the latest historical novel from Philippa Gregory. Anne Neville and her sister Isabel, daughter of the man known as the "Kingmaker," were pawns in his political games. Anne is fearful when her father makes war on his former friends, but her fortunes will turn.

In Gregg Hurwitz' Survivor, a former soldier suffering from PTSD and dying from ALS, plans to end his life when he climbs out onto the ledge of a bank's 11th floor. But, just as he's about to jump, bank robbers enter and begin shooting employees and customers. Nate thinks he has nothing to lose by confronting the robbers.

Private investigator Cork O'Connor returns in William Kent Krueger's Trickster's Point. Cork has a problem. Following a hunting trip that results in the death of the first Native American governor-elect, Cork is the primary suspect. The arrow in Jubal Little's heart belonged to Cork, but he wasn't the shooter. He was set up, and now he has to prove it by finding the real killer.

Laura Lippman's latest standalone thriller is And When She Was Good. Heloise convicted a man who is on death row. She rebuilt her life in a small suburban community where no one asks questions about her past. But, when the man's conviction is overturned, she will be the first person he goes looking for. She's been hiding a secret about her relationship with the man.

The Inn at Rose Harbor is Debbie Macomber's new Cedar Cove novel. A bed and breakfast called "The Inn at Rose Harbor" is run by a mysterious newcomer to Cedar Cove. Two of the inn's first guests will find hope, love and renewal there.

Anne Perry's Sunless Sea finds Police Superintdent Wiliam Monk investigating the brutal murder of a prostitute on the lOndon docks. It's a case that would lead him to secrets buried since the Opium Wars.

Madeline Dare takes a new job in Cornelia Read's Valley of Ashes. The wife and mother has everything she ever thought she wanted, but she's not happy. Her job as a freelance newspaper journalist soon has her tracking an arsonist.

In Kathy Reichs' Bones are Forever, Temperance Brennan is asked to examine the corpses of three dead babies in Montreal. The children's mother was a person of interest in a case being investigated by Temperance's long-tine love interest, Detective Ryan. Ryan and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police pursue the woman, only to find themselves caught up in the high-stakes world of diamond mining.

I'm only including one nonfiction title this month, Bob Spitz' Dearie (The Remarkable Life of Julia Child).The definitive biography was completed with access to Julia's diaries and letters, and is being released to coincide with wht would have been her 100th birthday. It recreates her life, and explains how she helped to change the role of women in America. The author chronicles her friendships, her struggles, her romance with Paul, and her TV career.

And, I'll end with a title I'm waiting to read, the latest Monkeewrench book. In P.J. Tracy's Off the Grid, the tribal police on Sand Lake Reservation have a problem. Young girls are being kidnapped in broad daylight, and the police don't have a clue about who's doing it or why. At the same time, when gang violence erupts, Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are searching for the culprits. Grace MacBride plans to find out if the two cases are connected.

August offers a number of reading possibilities. What are you waiting to read? Have I missed one of your favorite authors? Let me know!

10 comments:

Rosemary
said...

Lesa, I like the sound of a lot of these. My daughter loves Philippa Gregory, so I'll mention that one to her, and the Anne Perry sounds just the kind of thing my mother enjoys (she can't bear cosies). I have to admit that I'm a sucker for a Debbie Macomber every once in a while, so I'll be looking out for the Cedar Cove book (though not as much as I'll be looking for that Louise Penny!)

Thank you, Rosemary! I'm glad the list drove you to that TBR notebook, and you have people in mind for some of the books. I read some of Debbie Macomber's books, too. But, as you said, it's Louise Penny all the way!

About Me

I have been a library manager/administrator for over 30 years, in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and, now, Indiana. Winner of the 2011 Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award. I am a contributing Book Reviewer for Library Journal, Mystery Readers Journal, ReadertoReader.com and VibrantNation.com. Author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Spinetingler Awards for Best Reviewer.

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It's an honor to be asked to review books, and I'm grateful to all the publishers, publicists, and authors who send me books. Thank you. Reviews will appear on my blog if I've had a chance to read, and finish, the book. If I do not finish a book, I won't review it, and I will not respond to emails asking when, or if, I'll be reviewing a book.

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